Janet Kaiser, 68
Janet Kaiser, 68, died January 30 at her home near Sandpoint. She was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and grew up in Hutchinson, Minnesota. After high school she graduated as a registered nurse from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Minnesota. Jan married Kurt Kaiser on March 3, 1973.
Jan and Kurt moved to Idaho in 1978. They achieved their dream of living in the mountains in a log home they built together. Jan fulfilled another passion, her excitement of travel. She started Love to Travel and began making other people’s travel dreams come true. Having a travel agency made it possible for Jan and Kurt to travel to all seven continents, everywhere from Antarc-tica to the Arctic Circle and many places in between. Jan especially loved cruising, with Disney Cruise Line being her favorite.
Her degree in nursing played an important part in the mission work in which she and Kurt became immersed. They began as the Western Jurisdiction coordinators for the United Methodist Church. This led to many medical mission trips, which were very important to the African people but also heartbreaking and emotional for the mission teams providing the much needed aid. Jan organized, and she and Kurt completed numerous mission trips. She was devoted to helping the children of Africa. She was the Pacific Northwest Conference chair of Hope for the Children of Africa, which spearheaded the building of Jamaa Letu Orphanage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She also started a feeding program for malnourished children in the remote western part of the Congo (DRC).
A lifelong fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Jan was a true believer of “There’s always next year”.
Jan is survived by Kurt, her husband of 46 years; her daughter, Jennifer Shrestha (Pradeep); and two granddaughters, Asia and Raina. She is also survived by her mother, Phyllis Paulsen, and her siblings, Stephen Paulsen (Carol), Jeanne Palmer (Rick), John Paulsen (Patricia), and Richard Paulsen (Robyn). Jan was preceded in death by her father, James Paulsen.
A memorial service will be held March 7, 2 p.m. at Sandpoint United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials to PanCan.org or national parks.org.